How Do I File a Lost Baggage Claim with Alaska Air?
One of the worst things that can happen during a vacation is finding out your baggage is lost. Fortunately, reporting it in person within 24 hours is the first step and if you need to buy anything during the airlines' search, you will be reimbursed. They will continue to search for it for up to 6 weeks after your travel date.
You booked a great flight on Alaska Air and then you approach the baggage claim center to retrieve your bags. Then the unthinkable happens, you can't find them. What do you do? Don't panic. Alaska Airlines has a few steps you need to take and they will do their best to locate your lost baggage.
Lost baggage Policy
- Report lost baggage in person at the airport within 24 hours. Alaska Air cannot award compensation without a claim report on file.
- Also hold onto your ticket receipts and baggage claim checks.
- Most baggage is located within 48 hours and will be delivered to your home or hotel, unless your baggage was checked in late or you took a flight other than the one your bags were tagged for.
- Alaska Air makes every attempt to locate your missing bags for up to 6 weeks from the date of travel.
- Reports of baggage that are still missing after 5 days are transferred automatically to Alaska Air's Central Baggage Service Office, where a comprehensive worldwide computer search of airlines will be performed.
- Also after the 5 day mark, you will receive this Statement of Loss form within 2 weeks https://www.alaskaair.com/-/media/F1446E9228CE4A34970CA91DD26BAD35?lid=vanity-missing and you'd need to have it filled out and returned to the address indicated on the form within 45 days after your travel date.
Reimbursement for Essentials
- If you have to purchase items such as clothes and toiletries while Alaska Air searches for your missing baggage, then those receipts would need to be kept and presented to the airport baggage office where you filed your report.
- If you're unable to present them in person, then they can be mailed along with a copy of the statement of damage and missing property form, located here https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/baggage/baggage-claim/-/media/Images/pages/travel-info/baggage/2-5303 and mail to the Central Baggage Service Office address, which is at the bottom of the form.
Checking the Status of Lost Baggage
- Call the Central Baggage Service Office, anytime Monday through Friday, between 8:30 A.M and 5 P.M. PST or
- Use the Central baggage service office online form here https://www.alaskaair.com/www2/ssl/help/ContactUs.aspx
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Christian has been writing about long hold times and customer service call center experiences since 2010. He's been featured in Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe.
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